Barrel agitator and handle



DeC- 3, 1935 l c. E. FARRINGToN 2,022,711

BARREL AGITATOR -AND HANDLE Filed March 51,. 1953 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a novel form of construction of barrel agitator and handle thereforv for use in mixing paints or other liquids and to means for holding securely the parts of the agi.-` tator in proper position during transportation,

storage and use. The device is designed to fur#V nish the user of paint shipped in barrels with proper mechanism for rotation of the stirrer blade member in the form of a handle securely` clamped to the barrel head in shipment andy detachable for use. rigidly maintaining the agitator in position Vdur.- ing shipment and storage. Heavy paint vin storage for any considerable period of time'setf tles, the heavy pigment forming a mass in ythe bottom of the barrel, and if the barrel be stored with the top end down, then when reversed.J into proper position for stirring and mixing, the heavy mass of pigment which may weigh as much as lve hundred pounds may move downwardly and as, under the present practice, the stirrer blade is commonly inserted beforeY the paint is introduced into the barrel and is not secured in any manner at its upper end, the

heavy mass may pull the stirrer blade down and away from the bunghole. Further, when the barrel is dropped or otherwise roughly handled the stirrer blade is liable to be shaken or sprung out of its proper position at the bunghole. The

form of device hereafter described includes an effectual guard against; such displacement. I have also provided a certain and secure means` for effective maintenance of the stirrer blade in proper operative position during stirring of the contents of the barrel. This is most essential in proper mixing of paint. The stirrer blade, however, by reason of its shape, often tends'to rise during rotation when it encounters heavy masses or lumps of pigment in the paint.` By the 4o use of a new form of a handle insertible and removable through a hole in the upper portion of the blade, so devised as to engage withmthe bunghole Walls, the tendency ofY the blade to climb upwardlyin rotation is definitely checked and any vertical movement of the blade ifs"ei` fectively` prevented. Thus the operator is enabled vto use the agitator or mixing blade to its full advantage.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the top of a barrel showing a handle and holding means therefor.

" Fig. 2 is a vetrical cross-section of the barrel with the agitator in place.

Fi'gfB is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing one form of means for securing the agitator blade.

It further provides means for.

Fig. lk is a horizontal section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. v

Eig. 5isa perspective view ofthe holding clamp for securing the handle to the barrel head.

Eig, 6 shows in cross-section the pivot stud on 5 the bottom of. the barrel and a portion of the stirringzblade.

Fig. '7 illustrates the first stepin inserting the lqiwaridlegin the agitator. 4

Fig'. 8 is a cross-section of the bunghole tting 10 an upper portion of the blade in the bunghole, theadjaent portion of. the handle being shown in position for operation.

Eig. 9 is Aa cross section of. an alternative construction of the device shown in Figure 3. 15 The-same reference characters indicate the same parts in al1 gures.`

TheY handle I is preferably detachably secured to the top of.- the` barrel by means of a washer 2V. Which hasan extension 3 adapted to engage 20 o'verftlile' centralportion of the handle l. and to clampY the handle against the barrel head. The washer, is retained in place by a hexagonal hrf de dcap 4 which,`as shown inthe form illustreat. M Fig. 3, may be provided with a male 25 thr d, In the capfare drilled holes 5 to receive a pin 6., In the use of the invention the pin 6 is the fastening means whereby` the blade 'lA is retained in position within the bunghole of the barrel during shipment and storage. To this end 30 the pin is inserted through a hole 8 at the upper end portion of the blade 1. Thus, in preparing a barrel of paint or` the like for shipment the blade is withdrawn from the barrel sufliciently to permit insertion ofthe pin 6 through the hole 35 8 and also into the holes 5 drilled in the side of the bunghole cap, whereupon the cap 4 is screwed into threaded bunghole fitting H by means of a wrench applied to the haxagonal head of the cap. 4o In another form of the invention aligned holes may be` drilled through the wall of the bunghole fitting l-I to receive the pin 6 when it is passed threugh the hole 8. of the blade as shown in Fig. Q 'lile pin is then retained in this position by 45 means" offthe bunghole cap 4 which, in this case, is ded with a female thread.

"IY av" provided. aform of handle which has prov ,ttrtioularly effective in preventing upwardr downward movement of the blade when 50 it is ted in heavy material. 'I'hehandle is that it'rnay be inverted for the insern'dprtion l0 into the hole 8. It is then righted and the projection I 0 is engaged under the wall of the bunghole il, the blade l 55 being held between the end portion l0 and an adjacent lateral projection 9. There is thus secured closely fitting rigid engagement of the handle with the blade and with the bunghole wall. The blade in operating position thus is held within the bunghole by the projection lllof the hanle beneath the bunghole wall and is thereby prevented from upward movement during the stirring operation so long as the handle is held in normal stirring position. Y

If desired, the nose or entering portion I0 of the handle may be made flattened at its top section in operating position to militate against the rolling of the handle in the hole, thereby helping to keep the crank handle l5 in approximate upright position during operation.

To permit the blade to be drawn. out of the barrel', I prefer to provide an elongated locking stud i2 of suitable length on which is pivoted the bottom portion It of the blade l'. The blade maybe drawn upwardly to permit the insertion and removal of thelocking pin 6i, a nut iii preventing disengagement of the blade `from the stud. It will thus be seen that there is provided effective means of retaining the handle readily available without danger of misplacement or loss during shipment so long as the bunghole cap is retained in place. The blade is thus secured in proper place during transit and in storage, and is easily adapted for agitation.

What I claim is: l. In combination with a container having a bunghole fitting in its head, a stirring blade extending frorn adjacent to the bottom of said container up into said bunghole, the upper end portion of said blade having a perforation therethrough, and means for preventing said upper portion of the blade from slipping from the bunghole into the interior o-f the container, said means including a removable pin extending through said perforated portion of the blade and supported by said fitting.

2. In combination with a container having a bunghole fitting in its head and a stirring blade therein extending from the bottom thereof into the bunghole, said blade having a hole through each end portion thereof, an elongated pivot stud at the central bottom portion of said container, extending through the hole in the lower end of the blade, a nut on the upper end of said stud permitting limited vertical movement of the blade, the stud being of sufficient length to permit thev upper end of the blade to be lifted above the bunghole for the insertion of an operating handle in the hole in its upper portion, and a detachable operating handle having an end prortion adapted to be inserted through the upper hole in the biade when the blade is elevated.

3. In combination, a stirrer blade provided witha hole at the upper portion, a crank handle adapted for insertion into said hole to engagesaid blade for rotation thereof, said crank handle having a grip portion at one end and a lug at the other end, adapted to engage under the inner end of a bunghole fitting when the handle is in position for operation so shaped so that when said handle grip is pressed downwardly during rotation, upward and downward vertical displacement of Y, the upper portion of the blade is substantially prevented.

4. In combination, a container, a bunghole fitting in the head thereof projecting downwardly from the head and threaded for the reception of a cap, the downwardly projecting portion of said ntting being provided with a pair of aligned holes through the walls thereof, a removable pin adapted to extend through said holes and across 5 the bunghole, an agitator blade having an upper portion adapted to be rotated in the bunghole and provided with a hole through which said pin may pass to retain said upper portion in said bunghole. 10 5. In combination with a container having a removable bunghole fitting in its head, a removable stirring blade consisting of a strip of bar Vstock having its upper and lower ends in line with the central axis of the container and its 15 intermediate portion bent away to be offset from said axis, and easily accessible and removable means in said removable fitting for retaining the upper end of said blade in the bunghole when the bunghole is closed, said means being operative 9,0 to prevent vertical displacement of the stirrer blade relatively to said bunghole fitting.

' 6. In combination, a container having a bunghole in its head, a removable closure fitting for said-bunghole, a stirring blade extendingV from 25 adjacent to the bottom of said container upwardly into said bunghole, the upper portion of said blade having a perforation therethrough," and means carried by said removable closure ntting and extending through said perforated 3ol the mung from the bunghole. e5"

7. A combination as dened in claim 6 wherein the said means includes a removable pin extending transversely of the closure fitting to which the perforated portion of the stirrer blade is adapted to beloosely connected both when the 40 closure tting is in position within the bunghole as well as when it is removed therefrom.

8. In combination, a container having a bunghole in its head, a removabie closure tting for said bunghole, a stirring blade disposed interiorly of the container and arranged with its upper end projecting upwardly into said bunghole, and coacting means in said upper end of the blade and in said closure fitting for effecting the raising of said stirrer blade upwardly through said bunghole upon removal of the closure fitting from the bunghole, thereby rendering the upper end of the blade accessible for Vthe application of an operating tool thereto.

9. In combination, a container having a Vbunghole in its head, a stirring blade disposed interior ly of the container and arranged with its upper end projecting upwardly intofsaid bunghole, said upper end of the stirrer blade having a perforation therein and being normally disposed with the perforation thereof accessible for the application of an operating tool thereto, and an operating tool Vin the form of a crank handle having a notched` enlargement adapted for disposition within the bunghole, said notched enlargement Ybeing projected through the said perforation in placement relatively to said crank handle. Y

CHARLES E. FARRINGTON. 

